We present experimental demonstrations of accurate and unambiguous single-shot discrimination between three quantum channels using a single trapped ^{40}Ca^{+} ion. The three channels cannot be distinguished unambiguously using repeated single channel queries, the natural classical analogue. We develop techniques for using the six-dimensional D_{5/2} state space for quantum information processing, and we implement protocols to discriminate quantum channel analogues of phase shift keying and amplitude shift keying data encodings used in classical radio communication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntegrated technologies greatly enhance the prospects for practical quantum information processing and sensing devices based on trapped ions. High-speed and high-fidelity ion state readout is critical for any such application. Integrated detectors offer significant advantages for system portability and can also greatly facilitate parallel operations if a separate detector can be incorporated at each ion-trapping location.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrowave atomic clocks have traditionally served as the 'gold standard' for precision measurements of time and frequency. However, over the past decade, optical atomic clocks have surpassed the precision of their microwave counterparts by two orders of magnitude or more. Extant optical clocks occupy volumes of more than one cubic metre, and it is a substantial challenge to enable these clocks to operate in field environments, which requires the ruggedization and miniaturization of the atomic reference and clock laser along with their supporting lasers and electronics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonolithic integration of control technologies for atomic systems is a promising route to the development of quantum computers and portable quantum sensors. Trapped atomic ions form the basis of high-fidelity quantum information processors and high-accuracy optical clocks. However, current implementations rely on free-space optics for ion control, which limits their portability and scalability.
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